BC Ferries reports smooth sailing heading into final leg of B.C. Day long weekend

BC Ferries said a lack of mechanical or staffing issues and proactive communication with travellers has helped ensure a busy but smooth long weekend.

BC Ferries says it’s been mostly smooth sailing as the busiest travel weekend of the year draws to a close.

Traffic is expected to build throughout Monday afternoon as passengers make their way back to the Lower Mainland, but spokesperson Karen Johnston said there were no major cancellations or delays on the books.

“I think what you’re seeing as opposed to last long weekend is the impact of the Coastal Celebration not being in service the previous long weekend, that took an immense amount of capacity out of the system,” Johnston said of the B.C. Day weekend compared to the delay-plagued Canada Day weekend.

“She’s back in the water right now, so I think you’re seeing that in terms of helping to smooth out the traffic patterns.”

The ferry service did see one minor hiccup on the Horseshoe Bay to Langdale route Monday morning, with the Queen of Surrey requiring a pump repair that pushed sailings about a half-an-hour behind schedule.

As of 2 p.m. there was a two-sailing wait for Horseshoe Bay bound vehicles without a reservation from Departure Bay in Nanaimo and no waits at the Swartz Bay (Victoria) terminal.

But the remainder of the long weekend has seen a smooth flow of traffic on all major routes, a welcome improvement after a season of headaches for travellers.

In addition to no major mechanical issues, there were no major staff crunch issues either.